new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I was watering today and noticed a few bananas turning brown and obviously dying on one bunch, and so I looked more closely at the others and found half a hand, not the bottom hand either, shriveled and black. They are on different pups on the same mat. The whole mat has been less vigorous and has not looked well since the hurricane, but they didn't get blown over, so... I don't know what it is.

These are the black ones on one of the upper hands...


This is the other one with the browning ones at the bottom. I photoshopped the affected area so you could see it better.



On another note, I have this small Paggi pup with browning on the edge of it's leaves. I am assuming it is from the low 40's a couple nights ago as it suddenly appeared after that. It seems to be worse on the newest leaf. My 3640 has a similar thing on it's new leaf. Let me know if it may be something else... Thanks to all.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

The edge burning could be a too hot shot of fertilizer or possibly from the cold

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I added a shovel of horse manure to the soil and mixed it in good a couple weeks before planting, but that's all. I will assume cold as both plants did the same thing at the same time, though it was only on the newest leaf on the 3640 but on all the leaves on Paggi, but more pronounced on the newest leaf.
I hear tell that 3640 is pretty cold hardy, though. GM and Cavendisn or VC showed no signs of cold problems today and they are supposed to be sissies.

Thanks, Nick.
BTW, Nick.. I have not yet seen a banana grow so quick as that FHIA 17... wow. 4 new leaves in the time Paggi and goldfinger made 2 ea.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I also agree the low 40s temp caused the browning.. The other finger do not look well in the photo.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I can see they do not look well. I was hoping someone might know why and be willing to share that info.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Steven,



The browning on the leaves its because of the low 40's temp....I also experience the same in some of my 'nanas on my location in South Florida last week that temp went down to the 50's for a couple of days, then temp went up to the "normal" range of high 70's to 80's.....'nanas should recover quickly!....

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

It's hard to tell from photos.

The fruit looks to be withering/drying. We know banana plants 'go dormant' (shut down) when temps are below 50 deg F. Some come back when the weather warms, but not all. Further, this is a mature stalk that has fruited; it may simply be 'done for' and not going to recover.

You stated the mat has not looked well since the hurricane this summer. Is it possible the mat was flooded with salt water or small amount?

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

No salt water, I am 9 miles from the ocean. It was actually a pretty dry hurricane as we only got 4 inches of rain. Both of these had fruit when the storm hit, but one had just flowered and the other was flowering when it came. All pups seem to be growing well and the other one which flowered a couple weeks after the storm has not had this problem, so far. I am just perplexed by it as I already got 2 bunches from this mat trouble free. When I cut down the stalk about a month after the storm from the last bunch, it showed no signs of disease inside at all. I just don't want this to spread if it's some bug or disease which is why I am asking.
I water regularly and they are well fertilized so that's not it. Last winter this mat had a bunch on all winter and we had 2 frosts where the roof and grass were white and it didn't hurt the fruit or even brown the leaves, so I doubt it's the cold, either.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Still going on. The slow loss of bananas and the one bunch is still scrawny little fingers. I water every 2-3 days... ?

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Hummm ... no improvement. Some thing has to be going on with this plant. The fruit is not growing and is withering; leaves are slowly turning yellow. Sap flow to the upper part of the plant is reduced or cut-off. ... There is no signs of black spots which might indicate a surface fungus infection of the plant.

I suggest cutting the pstem down and split it open to look for an internal cause of the problem; insect, worm, or internal infection. I think you will find definite internal damage to the pstem or damage extending from the corm. ... This would help you to treat future plants and fruit crops. ... The current fruit is lost anyway.

Oh ... water every 2 or 3 days???? You could have 'root rot'. there are no roots left to take up water for the plant. Thus the withering. If this is so, you might still have a chance to save the corm.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I read that sometimes finger drop can be a result of high N-K ratio. I think that bunch is done for, but you can try just fertilizing with potassium and other micronutrients next time.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I agree. And, since that stalk has fruited, it is done for too. Cut it open while fresh; and look for any other possible cause. I believe it has been stated this is the same plant you've had similar problem with before.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I did put some somewhat fresh horse manure on them around the same time as the storm. A third stalk that flowered after the storm is doing fine as are the pups.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

I always get browning on leaf edges usually due to a lack of fertilizer. My bananas get a few black withered fruit when I have dumped pool water on or near them ( I flush\drain water away from them now. I have had low temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s and have had a few fruits turn dark but usually not much of a worry. If the remainder of the fruit ripen, then it is likely not a disease. Probably temp, pool chems, or too much fertilizer when fruiting. It is hard to tell. Too much water, fussing/attention, or not enough attention can do it too. They like mulch and clippings around them so check on that too.

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Thanks to everyone for your advice.
I don't plan to cut anything down so long as there are a few fruits left with a chance. I always check inside the Pstems when I do cut them and this mat was clean a few weeks after hurricane Matthew because I cut a bunch that was close to done right before the storm and wait till leaves die to cut Pstem and no spots in the Pstem...Clean and healthy looking.
I bag my lawn clippings and use them as fertilizer / mulch plus add other natural amendments as I can. Manure as I get it and bagged organic tomato food from Walmart when it's on sale in the fall, mainly to add micronutrients. The manure was fresh, but I used it sparingly and piled up the rest to cook down some for spring...I have always watered about every other day since this is Florida and it's all sand under the mulch, although I let it go 3-5 days when it's cooler...
These two were finished when the storm came thru and took a beating, and that is my best guess why this is happening, even though I am not sure how that would do this... Maybe they stop growing roots as well as leaves once they flower.... My third one, which flowered a few weeks after the storm is filling in nicely & not dying (yet), but so it the first one that are dying, and the third are spindly little fingers like they just came out yesterday or something... It's a strange thing which is why I posted this.

new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Steve,
You have to watch when using horse manure. I use it in my garden every year but I cover it with black plastic in the winter to well into the spring when I am ready to use it. Seems that horse manure contains allot of bug larvae / grubs and you might be getting a parasite problem. The black plastic cooks the manure and kills allot of those critters.

Just a thought.

Craig:2738:

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Well, the bananas continue turning black and the cause seems to be inconclusive so far. My best guess is still that they were done when the storm tossed them about and it messed something up. Why do I feel this is it? The third pup which flowered weeks after the storm is developing normally and all 3 are on the same mat.

BUT... My Namwah, one of two I have still has not grown at all... not a bit... in over two months, while the other stopped at the same time for about 3-4 weeks and has since grown a couple leaves. We had a small bit of cold right around when it happened, but I don't know exactly when growth stopped... I am beginning to suspect it may have been about the same time as when my kids first put the wood shavings from their guinea pig cage around them...Ammonia? They put them in a pile that would have only affected about a quarter of the roots. That may cause some odd growth, but I can't see it completely stopping the growth. Any thoughts or experiences?

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

yes the droppings can cause a lot of problems I hade a 30 year old bonsai healed in and my nephew put cat litter around it and it died.iwas out of town and came home too late

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Well, some news, maybe good, maybe bad, some definitely bad...
My Namwah has finally shot up a new cigar leaf a couple days ago after not growing at all for about 3 months so that is good...
But I completely lost the bunch on the one plant, as seen in the photo below...


But, inside the pseudostem there is no signs of damage... see..


My other bunch was losing fingers almost daily but when a hand turned, I cut it. They are not fully filled in but had I waited I am pretty sure I would have got none... See below...




Inside the stems showed no signs of anything amiss as the pics show... I am hoping someone can tell me why this happened so I don't do it again... My hypothesis about storm damage is the best guess I know of so far. The third stem which bloomed a few weeks after the storm seems unharmed and is developing normally. Apparently they don't grow more roots after flowering as well as leaves. That is my guess. The leaves on these two stems also seemed to be doing normal. The only other difference is that I cut the flowers off these two but not the third, but the one with the whole bunch lost had problems before I cut it's bud off, anyway so...

Re: new issue. bananas turning black & dying HELP
 

Wow. I really thought someone would have seen this before and have a good guess... All the rest of my jungle seems to be rapidly recovering from the cold snap a couple weeks ago and now on to some serious growth with warmer weather... :D

With 11 varieties, most of which are between 4-7 feet tall, I should have plenty of bananas come fall...Let's cancel any and all windstorms in central Florida this year...